Ear guard assembly

ABSTRACT

An improved ear guard that may be incorporated into an ear guard assembly, particularly for amateur wrestlers, comprising two symmetrically opposite ear guards having features that engage with a plurality of straps. Internal reinforcement members having ventilation apertures are enveloped by an energy-absorbing cover assembly. The outer surface of the cover assembly having apertures of appropriate size and shape to provide clearance for the straps aligned with the engagement and ventilation features of the structural reinforcement and not requiring ventilation holes, increasing the suitability of the surface for the display of custom graphics and the inner surface of the cover assembly is formed in such a manner as to simplify the adjustment of the straps. The geometries of the assembly provide multiple ventilation paths for comfort and natural hearing.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/934,264, filed Jan. 31, 2014, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to ear guard assemblies for wrestlers and athletes and, in particular, to an ear guard assembly that fulfills hearing and ventilation functions, but without apertures in the outer surface, thereby offering a larger area for decoration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The outer ears of wrestlers and athletes are subjected to opponent and/or competition contact that can cause hemorrhaging and permanent damage. As a means of protecting against such injury, ear guard assemblies (also termed head gear) are available in various shapes with arrangements of adjustable positioning elements (usually and hereafter termed the “strap” for simplicity) to accommodate the wearer.

Prior art wrestling ear guard assemblies provide space within an ear guard positioned over each outer ear, and incorporate a method of positioning and limiting slippage of each ear guard from its intended position. Existing assemblies possess completely or partially-covered structural elements to resist impacts and engage strap attachments, provide energy absorption and comfort cushioning, and incorporate perforations in the outer surface for hearing and ventilation. The assemblies are cleanable, and limit the impact of the headgear on the activity of grappling to varying degrees.

Exposed ear guard assembly components are typically fabricated from materials including fabrics, foams and plastics. Molded, woven, or knit fabric components soil more easily and require more effort to clean while non-porous components molded or extruded from, polymers (e.g., ABS, polypropylene) or coated with elastic material (e.g., vinyl) clean more easily.

Ear guard positioning should require low effort with little or no impact to other ear guard functions and the act of wrestling. Furthermore, attachments should remain attached during the contest. One of three methods is typically used to maintain the distance between corresponding attachment areas on each ear guard. One example incorporates a separate strap into each ear guard. The distance between the left and right ear guards is controlled by changing the overall length of the two straps via a fastening method (e.g., tab and slot, hook and loop). A second example involves the use of a separable strap, attached to itself after being threaded through each of the corresponding pair of strap attachments. While easy to adjust, these first two options expose additional edges or release points that could cause distraction and/or discomfort or become snagged and affect the position or attachment of the ear guard assembly.

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art example that reduces attachment exposure by covering the end 6 of strap 2 under the outer portion 3 of a cover 4, but also increases adjustment effort and potentially durability depending on the material of the cover 4 over each ear guard 1. Each strap 2 is continuous and inseparable between each of the ear guards. For this reason, the positioning function must occur to the structural reinforcement 12 within each of the ear guards. The strap 2 is typically adjusted by pulling the outer portion 3 of a cover 4 away from an attachment means 5 enough to retrieve a strap end 6. The strap end 6, exiting a slot 7, is grasped along with the portion of the strap exiting an adjacent slot 8. While pulling an inner cover 9 away from structural reinforcement 12, the strap 2, held in a loop shape, is pushed through the slots 7 and 8 enough to release the strap from the grip of the attachment means 5. Portions of the strap 2 are then pushed or pulled through the slots 7 and 8 in the desired direction, and tightened into the attachment means 5 at the desired position. The strap end 6 is then trimmed if desired and tucked under the outer portion 3 of cover 4, pulling the outer cover 3 away as necessary. The cover 4 over each ear guard is typically subjected to stretch cycles that affect the integrity to an extent that depends on material construction.

The cover 4 shown in FIG. 1 is typically constructed of vinyl covered foam, but prior art utilizing this type of adjustment alternatively incorporates fabric-covered foam covers. Fabric covers can offer superior stretch characteristics for durability while foam covers, whether uncoated or coated with an elastic material, such as vinyl, are more likely to eventually crack and/or tear, degrading the appearance and/or cushioning functions of the device. Improvements reducing the impact of adjustment on foam covered ear guards would add value to the device by increasing durability without sacrificing cleanability.

Individual contestants may prefer different levels or qualities of sound while participating in events and it has been stated in the prior art that some designs muffle, attenuate, or reverberate the sound in an objectionable manner. Ear guards have been marketed (e.g., Ultra Guard, Tri Force, Centaur (Matman); Twister, The Tornado (Cliff Keen); Quad III, GR-9 (Brute); Old School, Unrestrained (Asics)) and patented (Lukens; Coutant and Lukens) as including features to transmit sound or improve the quality of hearing perceived by the wearer. Ear guard assemblies in the prior art include apertures 10 of various shapes, sizes, quantities, and arrangements on the outer portion 3 of the ear guard 1 that result in varied effects on perception of sound level and quality. Apertures 10 in the cover 4 typically align with apertures 11 in reinforcement 12 to maintain an air path 60 in and out of the ear guard.

It is common practice for sports teams and individuals to bolster support through the application of graphic design (e.g., colors, logos, slogans) on sports equipment. However, the nature in which the decoration can be executed has been limited by the need to fulfill the hearing, ventilating and material durability functions of the ear guard assembly. The extent to which an ear guard assembly may be customized for a team or individual wrestler can be limited by the nature of its construction and in any case should not create an edge that could be caught during a contest.

Although examples in the prior art demonstrate uniqueness in styling (e.g., component profiles, perforation arrangements), and in some cases component color variation to bolster individual or team performance, greater customization that improves the incorporation of customer provided or specified graphics (logos, text, etc.) is currently not possible or practical. In particular, the design of most, if not all, ear guards include apertures 10 in the outer portion 3 of cover 4 to fulfill hearing and ventilation functions. These perforations interrupt an otherwise unadulterated surface that could otherwise offer a location to display uninterrupted detail of artwork.

In some cases, the extent to which an ear guard assembly may be customized for a team or individual wrestler is also limited by the nature of material choices made to meet other needs. For example, flexible, overlying fabric materials may be used to support decoration methods (e.g., heat-fused or stitched-on appliqué, silk screening, and embroidery). These methods enable presentation of artwork with varying degrees of detail, but all are either subject to special cleaning care, subject to damage due to contact exposure during use, or affect the flexibility of the cover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In broad and general terms, this invention provides an ear guard assembly that fulfills hearing and ventilation functions, but without apertures in the outer surface, thereby offering a larger area for decoration. The invention maintains—if not improves—hearing and ventilation functions by repositioning apertures in the inner surface. By locating a number of the apertures over the strap attachments, lower adjustment effort and increased cover durability are realized. The use of non-porous coatings on the ear guard cover yields an ideal surface to display custom graphics with greater fidelity and protects the graphics from damage.

An ear guard assembly constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of straps and a pair of right and left ear covers. In the preferred embodiment, each ear cover includes an outer member, an inner member, and a structural member disposed between the inner and outer members. The outer member includes a plurality of peripheral notches and a central, uninterrupted outer surface to receive textural and/or graphical material, and the structural member includes a plurality of strap retention areas, each strap retention area being aligned with a respective one of the peripheral notches, enabling the right and left ear covers to be interconnected with a plurality of head straps through the notches to the retention areas.

The inner member includes a plurality of peripheral apertures and a central opening to receive a wearer's ear, such that each peripheral aperture is aligned with a respective one of the peripheral notches in the outer member, enabling the strap to be removed or adjusted without stretching the inner member; and wherein the shape of the structural member creates a peripheral gap around a wearer's ears such that the peripheral apertures are spaced apart from a wearer's head, enabling sound and ventilation to flow through the apertures and into and out of the central opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an ear guard 1 illustrating the components involved in a method of strap attachment and adjustment in prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ear guard assembly 13, illustrating improvements in accordance with the invention as well as features that are removed from existing designs;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of one ear guard 14 of the ear guard assembly 13 shown in FIG. 2, labeling elements of the inner portion 34 and outer portion 30 of cover assembly 22, and structural reinforcement 21 as well as features that are removed from existing designs;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one ear guard 14 shown in FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of one ear guard 14 shown in FIG. 2 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention incorporated into an improved athletic ear guard assembly 13 particularly adapted for wrestlers is shown pictorially in FIG. 2, which depicts improvements according to the invention as well as features that are removed from existing designs. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of one ear guard 14 of the ear guard assembly 13 shown in FIG. 2, labeling elements of the inner portion 34 and outer portion 30 of cover assembly 22, and structural reinforcement 21 as well as features that are removed from existing designs. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one ear guard 14 shown in FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of one ear guard 14 shown in FIG. 2 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Ear guard assembly 13 comprises of two (2) principally symmetrically opposite ear guards 14 and 15 and a plurality of straps that in this embodiment include: head straps 16, 17, 18, and 19, and neck strap 20. Straps 16-20 are typically of a quantity and construction sufficient to maintain the position of the ear guards and conform to the wearer's head. Straps 16-20 may include slip-on or integrally molded features of varying construction to distribute strap force across a greater, or specific, area of the wearer, frictionally engage the wearer's head, or otherwise accommodate the needs of the wearer and still represent this invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a slip-on sleeve 43 has been added to the neck strap 20 to adapt the strap to be worn in front of the neck, and head strap 16, but an integrally molded or separable chin cup 44 or other structures are substituted if required. The end of strap 20, preferably attaching to ear guard 15, includes a quick-release fastener 45 in a location that permits strap 20 to attach to fastener 46 within aperture 47, securing the head gear 13 in the desired position and allowing it to be removed easily.

In each ear guard 14 and 15, a rigid or semi-rigid structural reinforcement 21 is disposed in a cover assembly 22, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. The structural reinforcement has an inner surface 23, concave in shape so as to provide space for the ear of the wearer and having contours 53. A flange 25 on the perimeter of structural reinforcement 21 supports a multitude of strap attachment means 27 and includes contour 26 to accommodate the wearer's cheekbones. Each of the multiple strap attachment means 27 provide strap (16-20) retention either by way of a pair of slots 28 and 29 or a quick release fastener 45 and 46 and align with a pair of apertures 31 and 36 in cover assembly 22 and apertures 58 in reinforcement 21.

The inner portion 34 and outer portion 30 of cover 22 are formed from closed cell sheet foam material or another flexible material by any of various means, the preferred method of forming the cover assembly 22 being fusing together two (2) foam components by any of various means along their adjacent outer edges so as to create a pocket for the structural reinforcement 21. Inner portion 34 of cover assembly 22 has an aperture 35, sufficient to provide ear clearance, and is shaped to primarily contact the wearer's head around the perimeter of the aperture 35 and maintain gap 48 (FIGS. 4 and 5) between the inner surface 52 and the wearer's head 49, exposing the openings of apertures 36, 50, and 51 to the ambient environment.

Ear guard cover assembly 22 may be left un-coated, partially coated, or preferentially completely coated with a series of non-porous flexible sealing material comprising: base color 39, decoration 40 (e.g., printed vinyl, hand painted) and clear coating 41.

In accordance with the invention, the apertures 36, 50, and 51 in the inner portion of cover assembly 22 provide the required airflow, and thus, perforations 32 and 24 may be removed, providing a larger, uninterrupted display area 57 on surface 33 for textual/graphical material 40. The addition of coating 41 protects the decoration and 40 and enhances cleanability of the ear guard.

By virtue of the invention, ease of adjustment is increased and the durability of the cover assembly 22 is extended. During adjustment, straps 16-20 are loosened from the slots 28 and 29 of the strap attachment means 27 and pushed through appropriately sized apertures 36, eliminating the need to pull the inner portion 34 of cover assembly 22 away from the structural reinforcement 21, reducing the potential for cracking and tearing of the cover assembly 22.

The invention also realizes improvements in hearing and ventilation. The gap 48, best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, exposes the apertures 50, 51, and 36, of the inner portion 34 of cover assembly 22, to the surrounding environment. Apertures 50 together with contours 53, of the structural reinforcement 21, maintain air paths 55 (FIG. 4) and aperture 51 together with contour 26, of the structural reinforcement 21, provides an air path 56 (FIG. 5). A second mode for air paths 54 result between the apertures 36 and strap attachment means 27, and a third set of air paths 59 is formed by apertures 31, apertures 58, and the contours of structural reinforcement 21 and outer portion 30. The resulting geometry permits incoming air, and the sound it transmits, to enter and exit the ear guard freely from an increased range of directions, thereby clarifying sound by reducing reverberation, improving sound source location, and increasing ventilation. 

1. An ear guard assembly for wrestling and other activities, comprising a plurality of straps and a pair of right and left ear covers, each ear cover including: an outer member, an inner member, and a structural member disposed between the inner and outer members; the outer member including a plurality of peripheral notches and a central, uninterrupted outer surface to receive textural and/or graphical material; the structural member including a plurality of strap retention areas, each strap retention area being aligned with a respective one of the peripheral notches, enabling the right and left ear covers to be interconnected with a plurality of head straps through the notches to the retention areas; the inner member including a plurality of peripheral apertures and a central opening to receive a wearer's ear; wherein each peripheral aperture is aligned with a respective one of the peripheral notches in the outer member, enabling the strap to be removed or adjusted without stretching the inner member; and wherein the shape of the structural member creates a peripheral gap around a wearer's ears such that the peripheral apertures are spaced apart from a wearer's head, enabling sound and ventilation to flow through the apertures and into and out of the central opening.
 2. The ear guard assembly of claim 1, wherein each structural member is composed of a thin, rigid or semi-rigid structural material.
 3. The ear guard assembly of claim 1, wherein each structural member has a concave inner surface so as to provide space for a wearer's ear.
 4. The ear guard assembly of claim 1, wherein each outer member is composed of closed cell foam or another flexible material.
 5. The ear guard assembly of claim 1, wherein each inner member is composed of closed cell foam or another flexible material.
 6. The ear guard assembly of claim 1, wherein each inner member includes an aperture sufficient to provide ear clearance.
 7. The ear guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer members are peripherally fused to create a pocket for the structural member. 